Sea swimming and snorkeling in tropical coastal blue spaces and mental well-being: findings from Indonesian island communities during the COVID-19 pandemic. (Special Issue: Covid-19 and outdoor recreation.)
Journal of Outdoor Recreation and Tourism
; 41(114), 2023.
Article
in English
| CAB Abstracts | ID: covidwho-2299376
ABSTRACT
The COVID-19 pandemic has considerable mental health impacts. Immersive nature-based interventions, such as swimming or snorkeling, may help mitigate the global mental health crisis caused by the pandemic. To investigate this, we collected cross-sectional data from residents of coastal villages (n = 308) in Kepulauan Selayar, Indonesia. Analysis of Covariance (ANCOVA) was used with mental well-being as the outcome variable, operationalized as the Mental Component Summary (MCS) scores from the SF-12 (12-item Short Form Health Survey). After adjusting for covariates, the activity of sea swimming or snorkeling was found to be significantly associated with better mental well-being (2 = 0.036;p < 0.01). Predictive margins analysis revealed that those who engaged in sea swimming or snorkeling for one to three days a week gained a 2.7 increase in their MCS scores, compared to those who did not. A non-linear dose-response relationship was detected for those swimming or snorkeling more than three days per week, there was only an increase of 1.7 MCS score compared to the 0-day. Overall this study contributes to the expanding of evidence base, showing that interactions with blue spaces can be beneficial for mental health, especially in a potentially stressful time such as the current pandemic.
Human Health and Biology (General) [VV000]; Sport and Recreational Activities [UU625]; Aquatic Biology and Ecology [MM300]; Social Psychology and Social Anthropology [UU485]; Community Participation and Development [UU450]; mental health; swimming; outdoor recreation; water recreation; coastal areas; communities; coronavirus disease 2019; pandemics; villages; Sulawesi; Indonesia; APEC countries; ASEAN Countries; high Human Development Index countries; lower-middle income countries; South East Asia; Asia; Sunda Islands; Celebes
Full text:
Available
Collection:
Databases of international organizations
Database:
CAB Abstracts
Language:
English
Journal:
Journal of Outdoor Recreation and Tourism
Year:
2023
Document Type:
Article
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